Towson University Police will join with other law enforcement offices, highway safety officials, and safety advocates across the country in support of the 2012 Click It or Ticket mobilization, a highly visible national enforcement created to save more lives on our roadways. From May 20 through June 3 motorists can expect to receive tickets, not warnings, if officers find them out on the road unbuckled. Motorists can also expect that Towson University police officers will be out in force ? both day and night.
Because nighttime drivers are among those least likely to buckle up, nighttime enforcement has become a priority of the Click It or Ticket mobilization. Of those who died in nighttime crashes in 2009, nearly two-thirds (62%) were not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash.
Seat belts provide the best defense against impaired, distracted and aggressive drivers. In fact, wearing your seat belt is the single most effective crash protection available. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2010, of the 22,187 passenger vehicle occupants who were killed in motor vehicle crashes nationwide, 51 percent were not wearing seat belts at the time of their fatal crashes.
From 2006-2010, 54 percent of the 130,854 passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes were unrestrained. Younger motorists, and particularly young men, are most at risk. Among teens and young adults, ages 18-34, who were killed in fatal crashes, 62 percent were not buckled up at the time of the crash ? the highest percentage of any age group. The number jumps to 66 percent when only men in this age group are included.
The national Click It or Ticket mobilization has increased seat belt use and saved many lives over the years, but there is still much more that can be done. High-visibility enforcement and encouraging loved ones to buckle up can turn thousands of lives lost into many more lives saved.
There?s no question about it: seat belts save lives. Spread the word to your family and friends to buckle up. You could save them the cost of a ticket. Even better, you could save a life. Remember: this May 21 – June 3, 2012, it?s Click It or Ticket.
For more information on the national seat belt mobilization, visit Click It or Ticket headquarters at {www.nhtsa.gov} or contact TUPD Officer Kia Williams at 410-704-5622.
